DreamWorks' computer-animated feature "Shark Tale" is an urbanized
underwater comedy about jive fish-in-da-'hood Oscar taking on a mob of
sharks. Pixar Animation, whose own seagoing 3D 'toon adventure "Finding
Nemo" was an enjoyable cruise, has nothing to worry about. "Shark Tale,"
stereotype-fueled, ill-designed and topically skewed, relies on a tired
script (M.C. Hammer "jokes"?), spent soul-music score, and feeble visual
gags built on product recognition. Even with stars Will Smith, Renée
Zellweger, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Peter Falk and Robert De Niro (!)
voicing characters, it has a secondhand, second-rate feel. Oscar (Smith) is
a hustler who shirks his job at the whale wash. (Think car wash, only with
whales.) Office manager Angie (Zellweger) pines for Oscar and covers for him
with their puffer-fish boss (Martin Scorsese). Meanwhile, Don Lino (De
Niro), aging head of the vicious shark family, wants his son Frankie
(Michael Imperioli) to take over, because other son Lenny (Black) is a wimp.
When Frankie accidentally dies, the sharks wrongly believe that Oscar killed
him. Oscar capitalizes on his undeserved fame as the Shark Slayer, soaking
up the perks, befriending Lenny and attracting gold-digger Lola (Jolie).
Although Lino will be steamed if he learns the truth about the Slayer, Oscar
and Lenny have a plan to outwit him. Finny but unfunny, "Shark Tale" should
sink.